“To guarantee long-term sustainability of a payment or reward for environmental service (ES) project, the principle of equity must be embedded in project design. If we want a system that pays people to look after the environment and we want to make sure that the system lasts, then fairness has to be built into the system from the start.”

Workshop participants interact with local communities in Kenya during a field trip. PHOTO/ RUPES

“As an added layer to transaction costs and contributing to effectiveness, equity should be contextualized and well aligned to the perception of fairness among communities where the project is ongoing. Though being fair might make the system a bit more expensive and complicated, the system will last longer if the communities who are doing the work feel they are being treated fairly.”

That was the conclusion from a three-day workshop organized by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and CARE in Nairobi, Kenya (14 -16 April 2010).

The workshop was aimed at sharing experiences about promoting a fairer payment system for “environmental services” (such as local communities being paid or rewarded in other ways for protecting or expanding forests) without making such a system more complicated or inefficient.

The participants agreed that there were gaps between theory and practice in managing the so-called “triple trade-offs” (equity-efficiency-effectiveness) in the field of payments or rewards for environmental services.

You can continue reading this story here: http://rupes.worldagroforestry.org/news/detail.327